mucha tarea
/mut͡ʃa taɾea/from spelling rules
The English phrase "much homework" is translated into Spanish as mucha tarea.
This phrase is used to describe a large volume of schoolwork that has been assigned to be completed at home.
Which one should you use?
Use mucha tarea to refer to a large volume of work in an uncountable sense. If you want to refer to a large number of specific, individual assignments, use the plural form muchas tareas.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase mucha tarea, the adjective mucha must be feminine to agree with the feminine noun tarea.
How do you pronounce it?
/mutʃa taɾea/
Did you know?
- The word tarea originates from the Arabic word ṭarīḥa, which stems from a root meaning 'to throw' or 'to cast down'.
- The word deberes, used for homework in Spain, is the plural form of the word for 'duty' or 'obligation'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, tarea can also refer to a specific chore or a piece of manual labor, not just schoolwork.
Examples in context
- Tengo mucha tarea.I have much homework.
- ¿Tienes mucha tarea de matemáticas?Do you have much math homework?
Example conversation
Two students are talking in the school hallway.
- MateoHola Elena, ¿quieres ir al cine?Hi Elena, do you want to go to the movies?
- ElenaNo puedo, Mateo, tengo mucha tarea.I can't, Mateo, I have much homework.
- Mateo¿De qué clase es la tarea?What class is the homework from?
- ElenaEs para la clase de historia.It is for history class.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarea, CC BY-SA 4.0.
